Thyroid desiccated and Fatigue: What Users Say

• Ama...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 17, 2020

For Underactive Thyroid "DO NOT TAKE THIS. I was on Nature-Throid with no problems for about a year before being switched to this garbage due to recall. I took NP Thyroid for about a week and ended up in the back of an ambulance this morning because my husband thought I was having a heart attack. I am a 30-year-old female athlete with no underlying health conditions other than an underactive thyroid. The past week on it has been a blur. Brain fog, irritability, heart palpitations, achy body and joints, breathlessness, migraines, nausea, dizziness, extreme fatigue, and anxiety. I don't know what's in this stuff, but it needs to be pulled. There is something very wrong with NP Thyroid. Stay far away from this stuff."

• Ami...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 4, 2022

For Underactive Thyroid "Here we go again! Problematic batches of Armour have started to emerge as of 2021-present. Stop the thyroid madness has reported on it as well. AbbVie/Allergan if you’re reading this, please look into your Armour Thyroid medication, as some component of this new formula is causing problems for a lot of us! Something’s changed for sure, because the new pills look and taste different. I have an old batch from early summer 2021 to prove it, hasn’t made me feel as terrible as these new ones have. Feels almost like a repeat of when NP Thyroid went bad. Dizziness, nausea/stomach issues, bloating, weird head pressure, vision problems, daytime fatigue, nighttime insomnia, anxiety/depression, mood swings, ear ringing, general unwell feeling, etc. Not good!"

• mis...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 21, 2019

For Hashimoto's disease "I have had Hashimoto's since 1998. Synthroid never worked for me, so the doctor switched me to Nature-Throid, which worked miracles after only 2 months. When there was a shortage of Nature-Throid, I switched to Armour. I have been on Armour for 5 years. At first, I felt great on Armour, but within the last 1 1/2 years, something has changed. All my symptoms returned in September 2018. I have gained 25 lbs, experienced hair and eyebrow loss, brain fog, and extreme fatigue, etc. I would bet money that Armour has changed the formula again but won't admit it. The pills do not smell or taste the same. Fess up, Armour!! Going to the doctor in 2 weeks to try a different NDT. Stay strong!"

• Abr...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 31, 2021

For Hypothyroidism, After Thyroid Removal "My sister-in-law and I are both on Armour Thyroid and we have both begun to feel draggy, and we've gained weight. I've noticed that Armour no longer has that distinctive scent. Did some research and have found that Allergan, which makes Armour, has been bought by AbbVie, which makes Synthroid. Is anyone else noticing Armour not working anymore? Have to go for blood work and will tell my doc to either switch me to another brand or I will have my meds compounded. I take 60mg 2x/day."

• lot...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 22, 2013

For Underactive Thyroid "This medicine has changed my life. After 3 courses of Levaquin for MRSA after surgery last summer, I thought that the extreme fatigue, muscle pain, mental fog, and joint pain that I've had were just part of aging (I'm 61), or side effects of the antibiotic. My TSH levels were in normal range, but my Naturopath saw that the free T-3 and T-4 were very low. We started Nature-Throid in late July, and by August, I was starting to feel human again. It's GREAT."

• Rrr...
• September 26, 2015

For Underactive Thyroid "Was on Synthroid for a year and noticed zero improvement. Got off it for a few years then started again and developed angina-like chest pain out of nowhere when exercising. I felt tired and miserable as always. Begged my doc to Rx Nature-Throid. After being on it 3 months, I realized how much better I feel. No more waking up feeling like crap, no more muscle aches, no more fatigue. Headaches have improved drastically. More energy to work out. No puffy, creased eyes when I wake up in the morning. Appetite is good again and I can eat what I want while maintaining my weight just fine. I am 5'8" and 135 lbs and only exercise twice a week but am able to eat 2000 calories a day, sometimes more, and have gained no weight. Just like old times!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 22, 2015

For Underactive Thyroid "Four years ago, I began taking birth control. After a year of trying to find the 'right' pill, I was experiencing extreme fatigue, mood swings, depression, constipation, skin/hair problems, weight gain, and an inability to lose weight. I stopped the pill and still continued to experience these symptoms. I spent the next few years trying to lose weight and trying to convince my doctor to treat my thyroid. She wouldn't because my TSH level was normal. Two months ago, I found a doctor who prescribes Armour based on symptoms. In one month of taking 25mg of Armour daily, I have regained my health and my life. Fight for your health and ask for Armour. If it doesn't work for you, it's worth searching for a medication that does to feel healthy again."

• Rev...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 7, 2019

For Underactive Thyroid "I have used this without a problem until I refilled my prescription in October. I have become increasingly sick since taking this bottle. It started with a flu/cold that wouldn't go away, then horrible stomach pains, and then the fatigue set in, where I literally could not get out of bed. In addition, I had abnormally high blood pressure. I went to a few doctors who had no answers until one day I noticed when taking my NP that it tasted different. I might have noticed it before but disregarded it. I did some research online and found that the specific batch I am taking which is M330E19-1 is on the STTM website list of problematic batches. I discontinued it today and will switch to Armour. It's becoming harder to get reliable desiccated thyroid."

• Mad...
• September 22, 2019

For Underactive Thyroid "I was on NP Thyroid for 3 years and finally got my life back. There’s a change in my most recent refill that has made me sick to my stomach, headache for days along with unbelievable fatigue. The pills smell like cat urine and taste the same. How dare you endanger so many people that are trying to regain their health. Do NOT buy NP Thyroid!"

• Jas...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 11, 2020

For Underactive Thyroid "I've been on Armour Thyroid for years and felt fairly good. My doctor switched me to NP Thyroid recently because Armour is no longer covered by insurance. NP Thyroid is awful. Not only did it cause some thyroid symptoms to return (trouble waking up in the mornings, extreme fatigue, depression, weight gain, and irritability to name a few), but it also caused new symptoms. My stomach hurt a lot with acid reflux symptoms, and I had constant mucus in my throat, which created a chronic cough, to the point where I had to clear my throat every 15 minutes. After being back on Armour for a couple of weeks now, all of the symptoms/side effects have disappeared, and I feel good again."

• Coo...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 5, 2023

For Hypothyroidism, After Thyroid Removal "Around four months ago, I noticed that I had started to gain weight and experienced a few other symptoms like fatigue, slightly impaired vision, and a strange eye twitch. These symptoms led me to believe that the formulation of my thyroid replacement medication has changed. I have been taking thyroid replacement medication for 25 years since my thyroid had to be removed due to Graves' disease. Initially, I mostly took Armour medication, but when the FDA banned compounding pharmacies from manufacturing biologicals, I switched to a different medication. Unfortunately, the Armour medication I am currently taking is not working well. To make matters worse, my insurance company suddenly stopped covering the cost of my medication, which they had covered for the past 25 years. While other synthetic medications, such as Synthroid, are available, I have severe side effects when I take them, so I am not able to use them as an alternative. As someone without a thyroid, I am entirely dependent on my medication, and this sudden change has caused me significant stress and anxiety. I have already reached out to my state's Attorney General for help, but I remain unsure about what other options I have available to me."

• J9M...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 18, 2013

For Underactive Thyroid "I was first prescribed Synthroid. While my TSH levels came down to 1.9, I still had side effects, like I was permanently cold and fatigued, as well as gained 30 pounds. I changed to Armour, and my feelings of intense cold subsided, my fatigue eased off, and my weight is slowly coming down. My TSH level is down to 0.42!"

• Jan...
• September 17, 2019

For Hashimoto's disease "I took this medicine, Armour Thyroid, prior to 2015 with excellent results. Six weeks ago, I went back on it because NP Thyroid had been reformulated. I had a bad reaction to Armour, both the 45 mg and 90 mg tablets. I could no longer get up in the morning, took naps at 2, had a severe rash on my fingers and scalp, felt anxious, depressed, and was not sleeping. I am in adrenal fatigue and can’t think straight. I don’t know if these reformulations are a way to push people towards synthetic medications, or if some new fillers have been added, or if the pig thyroid is being processed differently. My main concern is that my symptoms became much more pronounced within days of taking it, to the point where I could not function at 20% of my prior activity level. Also, the medicine seemed to be very uneven in consistency, I had several pills that almost made me feel like I was speeding, while 95% of the other ones put me in bed. TSH, which had been in the normal range for 11 years, plummeted to the edge of 0."

• wha...
• February 26, 2016

For Underactive Thyroid "I've been taking Armour for several years now. Somewhere along the line, all of my symptoms such as constipation, weight gain and trouble losing weight, hair loss, trouble falling asleep despite being extremely tired, low energy, headaches, brain fog, etc., came back with a vengeance. My endo sees nothing wrong with my labs and tells me it must be something I'm eating. I went along with this theory until one day I went online to find out why my prescription cost went up so much. Much to my surprise, I stumbled across many others like me complaining of symptoms coming back despite lab work being in range. Everyone noticed the changes came about when Forest sold! I'm switching doctors and hope to find another medication!"

• Ann...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 31, 2019

For Underactive Thyroid "I was on Armour for several years after still feeling horrible on Synthroid. At first, I felt better, then the last 2 years my TSH kept inching up, and I went through menopause. I also started experiencing horrible body aches (told I had fibromyalgia) and joint pain like I had arthritis. I gained 25 lbs in a year and extreme fatigue. In January, I was told I was in menopause at 43. I saw a new endocrinologist in June. She switched me to Tirosint and said all my symptoms were from Armour, the dosing was inconsistent. According to her, not every pill has the same levels. I switched to Tirosint and all the body aches stopped. No more being in pain! However, my menstrual cycle returned after 3 years of no periods. Now I am starting birth control pills since the bleeding won’t stop. I believe Armour put me in menopause."

• Mis...
• May 8, 2011

For Underactive Thyroid "Over 13 years, I was on different synthetic thyroid medicines. About 5 years ago, I started having problems with diarrhea, constipation, and fatigue. Then two years ago, horrible aches and pains, very low temperature. I felt I was dying. I pointed out to my doctor abnormal T3s and T4s, which he never noticed. After taking every diagnostic test and even CT scans, I was finally prescribed Armour Thyroid. I have my life back again. Unbelievable."

• gwe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 14, 2019

For Underactive Thyroid "I was taking the old batch of WP Thyroid, and it worked beautifully for years! Switched to the new batch, you know how they have since started reproducing it. Now, I'm having severe side effects from the new WP Thyroid: severe joint pain, stiffness, fogginess, dizziness, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, fatigue, and night sweating. I tried contacting RLC and no response. I think they are not responding because they know there is a problem. There is definitely a change in the new formulation... and terrible side effects. BEWARE!!"

• mys...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 16, 2016

For Hypothyroidism, After Thyroid Removal "I had 1/2 of my thyroid removed. The Synthroid and Levothroid left a taste of aluminum in my mouth. I was nauseous and fatigued. I asked my doctor for Armour, but my insurance didn't cover that so he prescribed Nature-Throid. I love it. I thought it didn't work at first. I thought that you could eat with it, but come to find out, you have to take it 30 minutes before or 2 hours after you eat. I take it on an empty stomach with a full glass of water and have no problems at all. Very good medicine. 65 mg for me. My insurance just sent a notice they won't cover it anymore, but I will protest it or pay out of pocket. I cannot do the Synthroid or Levothyroid... never."

• cso...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 11, 2012

For Hypothyroidism, After Thyroid Removal "I had Graves' disease 20 years ago, and my thyroid was burned out with irradiated iodide. I was put on Synthroid daily and gained almost 80 pounds over the years. I had all the bad headaches, fatigue, water retention, brain fog, etc. Finally, I started working for a functional medicine doctor who specializes in bioidentical hormone treatment. I signed up, and we switched me over to Armour. I have only been taking it for about a week, and I am already starting to feel better. I will report back in another week to say how I am feeling."

• Sic...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 4, 2020

For Hashimoto's disease "I have been on Armour 180mg almost 11 years. I tried Synthroid first. My TSH was 195, I was 26. When I started, it put me into a major craze. I still don’t know what. It felt like I had bugs crawling in my skin, and I can’t stress enough how horrible it was. I feel like the last 10 years of my life are a blur. I just kind of tolerated it, I lost the weight I gained. Way too terrified to try any other medication after what I went through, I just dealt with it. Fast forward to 2019, I feel terrible despite my TSH actually being a little hyper because of suppressing my goiter. I got from my TSH being 195. I now have gained 50 pounds, my hair is now falling out again. I’m sore everywhere. I barely get out of bed, I can’t think or remember anything. My vision is rapidly declining. I am in such bad shape that I’m actually going to the doctor to ask him to switch me to a T4-only medication to see if this helps. I can’t take being bedridden anymore, it’s got to the point where I cannot even work anymore."

• all...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 11, 2019

For Hashimoto's disease "I was on Levothyroxine for 20 years and no problems. I maintained trim weight with long-distance mile runs, the meds, and somewhat healthy diet. And then after a big move to Florida (stress), menopause in full swing, and other stress, everything changed big time. Gained 50 lbs, terrible body cramps, hair loss, sluggish, swollen face, pain in my feet when I first woke in the a.m. and couldn't run anymore. I was told over and over my thyroid numbers were fine, and then I came on here and read and deduced I had to force the doctors to listen to me and not vice versa. I have now been on Armour for only one week. I have been able to start running, I have lost 10 lbs already, and I am very hopeful the other 40 will happen in time. Still learning about iron meds and other numbers in blood to watch and take supplements. Hoping I can have even more success to report."

• Del...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 16, 2019

For Hypothyroidism, After Thyroid Removal "I have been on thyroid for 15 years. 8 years before thyroid removal, 7 years after. I started with Synthroid at the beginning, I felt 'normal.' Then it was difficult to get Synthroid, and I switched to Nature Thyroid. Was on that for a very long time, made me feel better, no headaches, didn’t fluctuate in weight. Then the money-hungry pharmaceutical companies decided that we didn’t pay enough for our working thyroid medicine and didn’t make enough. So, I switched to NP. Now I am back to being fatigued all the time, migraines again, weight gain, brain fog, cramps in my legs, the list goes on. When are these pharmaceuticals going to be accountable for screwing with the well-being of hundreds of thousands of people?"

• sof...
• January 2, 2012

For Underactive Thyroid "I have never had a thyroid. After trying several different medicines such as Armour & Synthroid, I was happy to get Westhroid. However, at week 4, my hair is still rough, including my facial hair (I am female, 55), energy level is low, and lots of joint/muscle pain still! The adjustment phase takes SO MUCH TIME & patience, but I am hopeful. Anyone without a thyroid needs all 4 thyroid hormones; T1-T4 calcitonin. Synthetics only have T4, period. I will come back in 2 weeks with an update."

• Nic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 6, 2021

For Hashimoto's disease "Progressively got sicker on Armour Thyroid. Abdominal pain and bloating, back pain, brain fog, headache in the morning, dizzy, blurry vision, extreme fatigue, pale skin, weight gain (10 lbs - thin my entire life - never had weight issues), high cholesterol. I've never felt so ill. I finally put 2 and 2 together, stopped taking the meds, and within two days, I started feeling better. I lost 5 lbs in one week and feel like my old self again. Today was the first day in 5 months that my stomach didn't hurt."

• Rad...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 1, 2022

For Underactive Thyroid "Problematic batches of Armour! I have started in 2009 to present Dosage- 60 mg. Allergen, if you’re reading this, please look into your Armour Thyroid medication, as some component of this new formula is causing problems for a lot of us! Something’s changed for sure, because the new pills look and taste different. I have filled at 1/2/2021 to prove it, hasn’t made me feel as terrible as these new ones I have. I feel nausea, stomach issues, bloating, diarrhea, weird head pressure, vision problems, daytime fatigue, nighttime insomnia, mood swings. Finally figured out it was Armour that was making me so sick. My doctor wants me to stop, and once I stopped, I am completely fine, and the sad part is this prescription filled at Costco Pharmacy, and they don’t want to notify or deal with the pharmaceutical company. Allergan, you guys need to investigate this. FDA needs to be involved as well, terrible product! I do not recommend this medicine, it is not good!"